DUE to a lack of proper action plan, Dhaka city’s microclimate situation is rapidly worsening, making a major impact on its development and habitation. Speakers in a seminar have expressed that the city will be the 4th largest megacity on the planet by 2025 but lack of proper action plan is responsible for the deterioration of its microclimate situation. Dhaka’s population grew enormously since the independence with mounting pressure on the environment. Many policies and promises have already been formed, but no one is implemented while losing public space, water body, and greenery, bad air quality, light, sound and odour pollutions turning the city unlivable and unhealthy.
Among the cities of over 14 million residents, Dhaka has been ranked third in terms of the presence of fine particulate matter named PM10 in the air. The acceptable level of PM10 in every cubic meter is 60 but in Dhaka’s air, it is 147. Once Dhaka was adorned with several hundred ponds, canals and water flowing areas, but due to unplanned filling up of the canals, ponds, and low lying areas the scenario has been changed. Although Open Space, Park and Natural Water Body Protection Act’ 2000 bars filling up water-bodies including pond. But it’s going on unabated.
The importance of Dhaka as the capital and making the centre of all administrative, judicial function and hub of higher education turned the city into an overpopulated metropolis. Now, it becomes a concrete jungle. Green areas are dwindling at an unprecedented rate. However, still, there are various types of green areas or vegetation cover in the city’s botanical gardens, homestead gardens, public parks, and vegetation around government offices, graveyard and playgrounds. We urge the authorities concerned to preserve the existing greenery and preservation of old trees.
Positively, the government has undertaken an 81-year Delta Plan to deal with environment and other issues, adding that the Delta Plan 2100 will be upgraded every five years to accommodate the emerging issues. It’s praiseworthy. The government should take comprehensive action plan, engaging decentralization, township development, extending urban green space, recovering the grabbed canals, water-bodies, evicting illegal structure from parks, making people aware and implement the laws to effectively redress the microclimate.
